KALAMAZOO — A detective who was terminated last year from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety has been ordered reinstated by a labor arbitrator, officials said.

The arbitrator issued the decision Monday, awarding Matthew D. Schultz his job back as a detective at KDPS as well as back pay and benefits, said Laura Misner, president of the Kalamazoo Public Safety Officers Association. It filed a grievance on Schultz’s behalf when he was fired last May.

“Obviously, we didn’t feel he was terminated for just cause,” Misner said.

Schultz, an 11-year veteran of KDPS, was terminated for what Chief Jeff Hadley then said were ongoing and progressive discipline issues related to “behaviors during his work” in the agency’s Criminal Investigations Division.

Hadley said he plans to meet with Misner and Jerome Post, the city’s director of human resources, to discuss transitioning Schultz back into his position at KDPS.

“I certainly don’t agree with the arbitrator’s decision, but I respect the process, and we’ll move forward,” Hadley said.

Schultz filed a federal lawsuit in March alleging he was treated differently and ultimately terminated by his supervisors because he has obsessive-compulsive disorder. He also claimed racial discrimination and alleged he was held to a different standard than an African-American officer with bipolar disorder.

The city filed an answer to Schultz’s complaint on April 18, denying any wrongdoing.

It wasn’t clear Tuesday what, if any, effect the arbitrator’s decision might have on the pending litigation in U.S. District Court.

The Kalamazoo Gazette was unable to reach Schultz’s attorney, Jennifer B. Salvatore, of Ann Arbor, for comment. The Gazette also was unable to reach Post for comment.

Schultz, who was reached by phone Tuesday, said he was happy to have his job back but declined to comment further.

“I’m very pleased with the arbitrator’s decision,” he said. “Justice did prevail.”